The Public Service Association is warning that a major restructuring of health and safety inspectors risks creating an inspector shortfall. All 135 health and safety inspectors within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment have been told …28 February 2013

135 health and safety inspectors have to reapply for jobs

The Public Service Association is warning that a major restructuring of health and safety inspectors risks creating an inspector shortfall.

All 135 health and safety inspectors within the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment have been told this week that their roles have been disestablished. They now have to reapply for new positions through a very rigorous process which includes psychometric testing.

The PSA says any inspector who is unsuccessful will be made redundant or asked to apply again.

“This is an incredibly stressful time for health and safety inspectors who have recently been merged into the new MBIE superministry and just last week were told they were being moved into a separate Crown entity,” says PSA National Secretary Brenda Pilott.

“There is a lot of change fatigue and many are already saying that instead of going through the job reapplication process, they will opt for redundancy or look for other jobs.”

There also remains some confusion over why they are being forced to reapply for positions which in their view are not that different to their current roles.

Brenda Pilott says “it is already difficult trying to fill vacancies in the health and safety inspectorate and we can’t afford to let this process result in the loss of experienced inspectors.”

“Strengthening health and safety regulation is in everyone’s interests and this restructure does have a focus on better training and support and will see changes to management and reporting lines. However the feeling is that could be done without a wholesale job reapplication process which inspectors believe will be time consuming, distracting and expensive and could result in the loss of valuable staff.”